Thursday, March 24, 2016

#SOL16 - 25/31 - Poetry Friday - Discovering Loneliness

I'm slicing with theTwo Writing Teachers community for Day Twenty-Five of Thirty-Oneof the Slice of Life Challenge in March. Thank you Stacey, Tara, Anna, Betsy, Dana, Kathleen, Beth, and Deb.

And, it's Poetry Friday, today hosted by Heidi Mordhorst at her blog, My Juicy Little Universe. Heidi is also sharing a poem for Michelle Barnes' challenge. See the explanation below.Every month, Michelle H. Barnes at Today's Little Ditty interviews a special guest who offered a poetry challenge. This month, this guest is Amy Ludwig VanDerwater from The Poem Farm. Here are Michelle's words about the challenge: "Amy has challenged us to write poems about small things— animals or objects you see everyday and don't give much thought. Click HERE for more details." Amy is a master when writing about small things. I know she sees things I miss, and celebrates them often in her poems. I do try to notice, but often they skip right by.This time I wrote a poem about something my granddaughter Ingrid has noticed. She visits me at least once a week, if not more, and each time she tells me how sorry she feels for the wire wastebasket in my office. All the hours at my house, whenever trash is concerned, she "feeds" this basket, hoping it won't feel lonely anymore. Ingrid is a child who holds many things, mostly living ones, close to her heart, but others, too. She makes sure she visits the extra bedrooms that are not used very much. She hugs the stuffed animals, and pats the large ceramic dog that sits in my living room. I am grateful for her eyes. She notices, as Amy asks, the small things.The Lonely Wastebasket

52 comments:

Methinks that Ingrid is a poet like her grandma! Oh, I want to put something in that basket too...right through my screen. She will love knowing that you wrote this, if not now, then someday. I suspect there is and will continue to grow a pile of Ingrid poems... "Waiting for work." I love that. Thank you for sharing this, Linda. xo

That Ingrid's a special one! Her heart is going to take her to some special places in her life... and not just unused bedrooms. I am grateful to YOUR eyes, Linda, for capturing a small wastebasket's loneliness in such a big-hearted poem! Love the last line especially, that not only pulls the whole poem together, but ends my reading with a smile.

I'm with Michelle on this one. The last line struck me as being so thoughtful as if the wastebasket was really feeling the pangs of being alone. I am glad to have read this after another frustrating hour with various techs about my continuing issues.

Quite a snow you had, Linda! Ingrid might be interested in my poem called "Tactoscope" from Squeeze, which imagines a tool that shows every spot that has never been touched. Ingrid would want to lay her ministering hands, wouldn't she?

Thank you so much for sharing the poem and its back story. As much as your granddaughter is a gift to you, you are even more so a gift to her. Oh, to be understood and appreciated, when being sensitive can be derided and dismissed. You and your granddaughter: a match made in Heaven! God bless you both; I look forward to reading more of your shared poetic insights. Thank you again!

Loved hearing about Ingrid. What a sweet, caring child. I can see why you treasure her company and her ability to notice the small things adults never even consider. Thanks for the thought-provoking poem -- I fear my wastebaskets feel they are overfed and wish to be empty sometimes. :)